


Fading Sunlight

by Chel_esque



Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: F/M, Where I Belong, Where I Belong Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-17
Updated: 2012-08-24
Packaged: 2017-11-12 07:38:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/488367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chel_esque/pseuds/Chel_esque
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. As Rinoa continues to follow her dream, Squall continues to push away the one sun that shielded him from the shadows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Snow

**A/N** : I do not own any part of FFVIII or FFIX.

* * *

_"You'll be the sun to shield me from the shadows."_

A nineteen old stood looking at the sunset, an amazing array of reds and yellows. Her black hair swayed gently in the wind as she turned to her companion, laughing when she sees the awed look in his eyes. Ignoring the scowl that replaced the gentle look, she hugged him while whispering something in his ears.

_Squall? Did you mean what you said all those years ago?_

His eyes then shone with amusement as he kissed the top of her head. They stayed in the embrace, the sunlight enveloping them with warmth. Leaning down, he whispered something in return to her earlier statement. Something that wouldn't be so easily forgotten.

_Was everything just a façade? Was everything that we had...just a game to you?_

She smiled in response as they both leaned down and their lips met in a gentle kiss. Standing alone in the hill, overlooking the sunset, it was the perfect moment. Both the young woman and man were caught in the throes of love, eternally wishing they could stay together, forever.

_Was I really such a burden?_

For the young brunette, the moment was just like out of a fairy tale, something he refused to believe in. But it was the only thing he could compare it to. For the young woman, every moment was perfect with the man who held her in his arms, whispering the words that made this moment particularly special.

_"I'll protect you forever, Rinoa."_

"Rinoa."

The now twenty-two year old woman frowned, a facial expression that marred her beautiful face, as it was not the voice of the man that was in her dream. In fact, her dream had faded to a sheen of black. There was no grassy hill. There was no beautiful sunset.

There was no Squall.

"Rinoa!"

Rinoa snapped open her eyes as she realized that she had gotten lost in her thoughts in her manager's office. She blushed as she tried to remember what her manager was trying to tell her.

"Yes, Garnet? You were saying?"

The other woman in the room sighed, as she realized that the singer had not listened to her at all. Honestly, she was getting worried about Rinoa; she had been going into her own world more frequently as of late.

"I was saying, that we'll have to reschedule the meetings for next week since we'll have to go to Garden for the gig that you're doing."

Garden. The word made her cringe as she remembered the one person that said those hurtful words to her. After two years of complete happiness with him, her world came crashing down in one night.

Fairy tales don't exist. That's what she had learned. That's what he had taught her.

"Ah, okay then."

Garnet furrowed her brows together. Rinoa was progressively worrying her as the day for the SeeD Graduation Ball arrived.

"Rinoa?" Garnet tried to ignore the way she seemed to flinch in shock as she tried to pay attention again.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

Garnet knew it was a lie. Everything Rinoa did showed her anxiousness. But for now, she would let it rest. Asking her more than once would pressure her into answering her, and she didn't want to force her to open up. It would backfire on her eventually.

"Alright." She started to say. "Just so you know, we have to go to The Night Star now for the dinner meeting at six."

"Alright."

The one worded answer from Rinoa caused more worry to grow within the twenty-seven year old manager; of all the times she had seen Rinoa, she had never seen her look so dejected.

* * *

The worry inside Garnet only increased tenfold as the car ride to The Night Star restaurant was filled with silence, the city lights of Deling City blurring every second they sped past the busy buildings. Garnet never stopped glancing at her through the reflection of the window, the outside world keeping Rinoa's gaze from looking anywhere else. Rinoa, on the other hand, was trying to quell the riotous mess inside of her as she thought of the stormy eyed man unwillingly.

They duo finally reached the prestigious high class restaurant, fit only for the rich and famous. And always there to greet them, were the mass of reporters as they somehow find the news of their arrival.

"Geez, these reporters just don't know when to quit." Garnet said, irritated at the trouble they would cause trying to get information about the stars in the restaurant. She proceeded to give them a miniature glare, in the hope to get Rinoa to laugh, like she always had when Garnet complained about the annoyances.

She didn't.

In fact, she appeared to not have heard her at all.

Garnet sighed. She hated to disturb Rinoa the times she was like this, but there was work to be done.  _Soon_ , she thought.  _I will make her take a vacation._

"Rinoa, we're here."

The dazed woman nodded and proceeded to open the door of the car, plastering the smile she wore for so long to the faces that adored her as Rinoa Heartilly, the singer. Never as the person she really was.

Following the famous singer, Garnet escorted her to the entrance, all while trying to avoid the reporters that hounded her for answers.

"Miss Heartilly, when is your next album to be released?"

"Rinoa, what are your future plans?"

"Miss Heartilly, please take a shot for The Daily Deling!"

The questions bombarded her from left and right, yet Rinoa continued to walk forward, smiling the same fake smile she wore for the past year. The reporters continued to ask their questions, not noticing that her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

One question however, stopped Rinoa temporarily, as the question put her into a momentary shock.

"Miss Heartilly, the public has noticed that you have been uninvolved romantically for the span of your career. Is there a special someone in your life right now?"

_There was._

Flashes of memories came to Rinoa's mind as she tried desperately to push them out of her head. A pair of stormy blue eyes, the warmth of his embrace, the beautiful smile he showed just to her. In the midst of all the beautiful memories, one particular memory stood out from the others.

_"Just leave already! This is what I wanted, after all!"_

Angry blue eyes fixed onto her eyes as he glared at her. The pain of the words he said to her that day. He remembered it all in that one second after the question was asked.

_"You're nothing but a burden, Rinoa. Nothing but a burden for the past two years!"_

Yet in the midst of all the chaos inside her delirious mind, her smile plastered on her face never wavered, as she continued to walk through the crowd of reporters. Garnet reassuringly pushed her through the doors of The Night Star, letting out a heavy sigh as she was released from the massive prison of bodies.

"Whew! I thought we'd never get out of there!" Garnet said.

Rinoa just kept smiling as she nodded to her statement.

"Well, let's just go to our table, shall we?" Garnet flashed a reassuring smile. A smile that didn't receive the wanted response.

"You go on ahead. I need to go to the restroom for a moment."

"Are you alright?"

Rinoa desperately wanted to tell her the truth; that she wasn't alright, that she was a mad, mad mess inside.

"I'm fine." Rinoa just continued to smile that fake smile as she turned toward the direction of the restrooms. Garnet continued to worry, but nodded and allowed her to go off to freshen up.

Rinoa walked to the restroom, speeding up every second that passed, but never breaking out into a run. Too much attention would be drawn to her if she did. She nodded at people that looked towards her in respect, but once she was safely in the confines of the restroom, she dropped her smile immediately as what she was truly feeling revealed itself.

And just like a few moments ago, flashes of memories attacked her, stirring a whirlwind of emotions inside her mind. Except this time, they were more vivid without any distractions to intercept them.

The anger he showed towards her, the pain of his words, the uncertainty she felt. She remembered them all as if she was reliving them. And in a way, she literally was. Even the memories she had brought her to near insanity. She gasped out loud as tears began to well in her eyes, letting out those quiet, quiet sobs while sitting on the marble floor of the restroom.

* * *

Garnet looked around worriedly for Rinoa.  _Where did she go? She's been gone for fifteen minutes already._ Had something happened? Garnet looked around for any semblance of black hair.

Five more minutes passed. Still no Rinoa.

The worried manager excused herself from the table and went off in search of her co-worker, all the while with guilt piling on her shoulders.  _I should have canceled the meeting for her. I knew something was off with her today, but I just sat back and left her alone! Hyne, what have I done? I hope she's alright._

Garnet finally reached the restroom, the place where Rinoa  _should_  be in. The sight of crisp, white marble floors and white stalls greeted her. But still no Rinoa.

She decided to go outside to the park across from the restaurant after more failed attempts at finding the missing singer. The street lights cast a golden light around the streets, leaving a mysterious aura of its surroundings.

Garnet hated herself at this moment, for failing to do something,  _anything_ , to help her friend out. Rinoa might have thought that she was fooling everyone into thinking she was alright, but Garnet knew better.

She saw her fake smiles, always plastered on her face on interviews and in pictures. The shine was missing from her eyes, and if someone looked closely, they would see the pure emptiness and loneliness accompanying the smiles that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Garnet finally found a silhouette of a young woman sitting on a bench, her head resting on her knees. From her posture, the twenty-seven year old manager found that Rinoa was more depressed than ever. And the thought scared her.

The first time she found the young woman singing at a restaurant, she glowed with such happiness and joy that made the song sound a million times better. Where had the joy she had displayed gone to? Now in its place was an empty shell.

Garnet called out her name, in the hopes that she would look at her. She did.

Rinoa looked up and saw the light brown eyes gazing back in worry at her.

"Are you alright?"

Rinoa was about to say her usual answer, but Garnet beat her to it. "And don't say that you're alright, because I know you're not." Her eyes flashed with a bit of anger at her for hiding her sadness from her friend.

The young singer in turn stayed quiet after that. She wanted to tell her; it was slowly killing her inside. Maybe it was time to finally let it out and to start over. She waited for a year. He never came back for her.

And so, in the moonlight, Rinoa told her story to the friend that accompanied her on the bench.

She told her of the story of how she lost the sun that shielded her from the shadows.

* * *

**One Year Ago...**

Rinoa hummed as she walked down the street, walking from the bar she worked part-time at. Her smile widened as she thought about where she was headed and what day it was, her boyfriend's apartment and their two year anniversary. Her boyfriend of two years, from this day.

Squall Leonhart, a SeeD of Balamb Garden.

Rinoa and him hit it off when he walked into the bar and caught her singing on stage. She noticed how he stare at her, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, and after her shift was over, she sought him out and they chatted for the majority of the night.

She giggled as she remembered how shy he was, his eyes diverting from place to place, anywhere to keep him from looking at her.

The door to his apartment opened and she walked in, greeted by the sight of the brunette sitting on the sofa in the living room.

"Hey, Squall!" Her smile caused her eyes to wane like crescent moons, the sign of a true smile of Rinoa's.

"Hey."

She still smiled even if the one word was the only response she got out of him, she was used to it, even if other people weren't.

"We're going out tonight."

Rinoa looked on in surprise, she never knew when to expect Squall going out in public with her. The first time she tried had him tense for the day and she could tell that he didn't enjoy it. And they never did again; if they did it was on a secluded balcony of a restaurant. And even then, he was still tense.

It made her wonder if he would actually enjoy tonight, if they were going out to celebrate.

The answer was a reassuring glance from Squall, telling her silently that it was alright, that today was special and he wanted her to enjoy it.

Rinoa's response was a brilliant, brilliant smile that made Squall's heart skip a beat as she ran off to get changed. At the bottom of his heart, he knew that someday, she would leave him to follow her dream. Her beautiful, beautiful dream filled with fame that surely didn't involve him.

But for now, he wanted to enjoy those moments left with her.

And so, he waited for that day to come.

* * *

The Night Star was a glamorous arrangement of silver and blue décor, matching the night sky presented to them through the glass window.

Rinoa was a simple but elaborate display of beauty, her hair swept to one shoulder in romantic curls, her sky blue dress accentuating her pale skin. On her neck was her necklace containing her mother's ring and Griever, the two most special things to her.

Her smile rivaled that of the stars outside, as she and Squall chatted over glasses of burgundy wine .

Squall, the epitome of privacy, even looked like he was enjoying himself and he stared at his girlfriend. In the corner of his eye, he saw the stage with a sleek grand piano and a plan formulated in his mind.

Whispering in her ear the idea he had in mind, she smiled and agreed. Squall returned it and rose from his seat, intent on speaking with the waiter.

After a couple of moments, Squall looked over to Rinoa and nodded, the latter also rising and walking over to the stage.

And Squall could only look, like he had looked the first time he saw her. The way she sang, her beautiful, melodious voice gathering the attention of the whole restaurant. Squall thought she sang her best when she was happy, and today was the day she had surpassed any of her past performances.

He wasn't the only one who deeply appreciated her voice and beauty. A twenty six year old sat in the corner of a booth, her waist long hair tied at the base with an orange tie as she looked on in amazement.

 _I've found her._  She thought.  _I've found her!_

With that thought she drowned her shot, and made her way over to Rinoa, who had just finished up her song and was bowing graciously to the audience, her smile glowing and glowing.

Squall met her at the bottom of the stage, helping her off by slipping his arm around her waist and lifting her off, like a knight she had seen in so many movies.

They were still smiling as the short woman with long brown hair arrived at the duo.

"Excuse me, may I have a word with you?" Garnet smiled at the couple who looked so content with each other.

Rinoa smiled and quietly told Squall to wait for her back at the table. He nodded and walked back to the awaiting dinner, all the while looking back in curiosity and wonder.

Rinoa walked back over to the booth with the stranger. Garnet smiled at the young woman who was positively glowing.

"Your performance tonight was lovely. What's your name?"

"Rinoa Heartilly."

Rinoa blushed and thanked her shyly, the compliment warming her soul. She had always loved to sing.

Garnet chuckled, and continued. "My name is Garnet Alexandros. I'm with the Prima Vista company, have you heard of it before?"

The young woman could only gasp as she listened to her.  _Prima Vista? The biggest, most famous entertainment company in all of Esthar?_

Rinoa only nodded. She wondered what the Prima Vista worker was talking to her for, her hopes gathering and gathering. The more she thought about it, the more she was anticipating what she would say. The suspense was killing her!

"Well, you've got potential. Lots of potential. And I'd like to have you sing for us. You can consider the offer for a few days. Here's my card. Call me when you come up with a decision."

Garnet handed her a crisp white card, smiling at the joy on her face.

"Thank you so much!" Rinoa glowed even more as Garnet chuckled again at her enthusiasm. But before Rinoa accepted, she wanted to talk about the great news to Squall and make a decision with him. Surely, he'd be happy for her, and there would be another reason to celebrate today. If Squall was happy, it would mean that he would support her and have no problems with it, like how she felt about it.

Making her way over to the table, where Squall was sitting, she managed not to trip as she practically ran over to the table. Squall smiled as she sat in her seat hurriedly and took her hands in his.

"Well, what did she want to talk about?"

"You'd never believe it! She's with the Prima Vista Company, and she wants me to sing for them!"

With those words, Squall felt his heart drop. He knew it would happen someday. He knew that Rinoa would leave him in order to follow her dream. After all, there would be no room for him in her future as she climbed up the social ladder, leaving him behind as she finds another, more suitable man for her. He's seen it happen before. Too many times had it happened.

Why would this time be any different?

Rinoa's smile never faltered as she kept talking. Squall's smile however, gradually morphed into a frown as he grew more insecure about himself.

 _It'd be better if I stepped away now...it'd make it less painful than if I were to wait for Rinoa to leave me behind_.

He waited for this day. He just didn't want it to be this soon.

"Squall? What's wrong?" Rinoa's smile dropped as soon as she realized Squall was almost glaring at the wine glasses.

"Squall?"

Rinoa didn't expect his next action. He abruptly rose from his seat, tossed the napkin down, and stalked angrily away from the table, people oblivious to the man that passed them.

The young woman followed him out into the streets and called out his name repeatedly, with no answer.

At last, she finally grabbed a hold of hand as she breathlessly asked what was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Squall angrily replied.  _What's wrong is that you're going to follow your dream. What's wrong is that you'll eventually leave me behind and forget about me. What's wrong is that...you would stay if I asked you to. You would stay if it meant I wouldn't be sad or mad. That's why I can't be selfish._

"What's wrong is that you're talking to me while you should be with that worker!" Squall glared at Rinoa, who stepped back in fear.

"Squall…" She had never seen him this angry.

"Just leave Rinoa!" He hated the words he was spitting out, he hated himself for bottling it all up inside of him instead of telling Rinoa what he felt.

"Just leave already, it's what I've wanted this whole time!"

Rinoa could only look at him in shock, was this why he decided to do all this for her today? The beautiful restaurant, the singing on the stage, the beautiful night? Was it all just to give her one last memory to remember as he broke up with her?

Squall knew she was getting upset, tears were welling up in the corners of her eyes.

He hated himself for his next words, the words he wished he could take back.

"Rinoa, you think I've enjoyed the past two years? You think I would actually be with you for that long? Think again."

Rinoa stepped back even farther as his hurtful words began to digest.

"You're nothing but a burden, Rinoa. Nothing but a burden for the past two years!"

And with that, Rinoa's soul began to decay, as the one she loved most pushed her away cruelly. Rinoa's tears were streaming down her face, sparkling in the light like a mirage.

Squall looked at her with sadness, but he knew it was for the best. It would be better for her to follow her dream than to stay with him. Out of the two choices, he knew she would stay with him. He didn't want her to live with any regret at the future she could have had.

Rinoa gazed back at him, but finally dropped her gaze as his words triggered memories. Hurtful childhood memories of her father yelling and belittling her as she tried to sing. Her father had said the same words to her; she was a burden. No matter who she was with, she would always be a burden.

_How long had Squall thought of me this way?_

After an eternity, she looked back up and smiled at him. A smile that nearly broke his heart.

Slowly, she started to reach up behind her neck and unhooked the chain holding the two rings. She took Griever in her hands, and slowly walked up to Squall.

Her actions made Squall want to let the tears drop from his eyes. But he wouldn't let her see how broken he was becoming. Her actions were that of a hollow shell, as if no more joy was in her.

And ever so slowly, she took his hand and placed the cool, metal object in his hand and clenched his fingers together for him.

"Thank you, Squall. Thank you for the two years if happiness you gave me."

Squall hated that smile that shone through her tears. It was so real, the last real smile she would ever give  _for him_.

And slowly, she turned around and walked out of his life.

* * *

Garnet sat at the booth, still smiling at the excellent singer she had found. Swirling the wine glass she held, she took a sip until a tentative voice called out from behind her.

Turning around, she was surprised to see Rinoa standing, with a smile on her face.

"Hello, Garnet? I've come to give you my answer. I'd love to sing for your company.

* * *

Outside of The Night Star, Squall sat beneath the stars as he cried bitterly in regret of his words and actions. He wanted to rewind time so, so badly it ached inside of him.

In his hand, he still held griever tightly, as if it would somehow save him from more regret.

And the snow began to fall ever so silently, coating the ground in its white, white beauty.

* * *

**A/N:** Alright, so I hope you enjoyed reading my second story (maybe my last one for this month) for the Where I Belong challenge! This is only part 1 of 2 (or 3, depends on how long I make the next part). The second part is already planned out, I just need to actually get off my lazy butt and write it. And yes, this will have a positive ending, at least more positive than this part has ended off on. This fanfic is based off a novel I've read before (I can't remember the name!), and the ending is a tragedy in that book, but I decided to change it up and make it into a happy-ish ending.

With that said, I hope you enjoyed reading this again, and I hope you guys are enjoying the WiB challenge as much as I am. Take care. :)


	2. Shadow

** A/N:  ** I don’t own any of the Final Fantasy characters mentioned.

* * *

And so Rinoa drowned herself in work, the only way she knew how to console herself; something she had learned from him.

A year passed by with such big hopes that were crushed when the one person who she wanted to see never came for her. Another year passed and she was left with the emptiness of the same lost hope. 

As she grew in notoriety, she grew farther away from the one person she wanted to see the most. 

"Rinoa!"

Once again the young woman was startled out of her thoughts, almost falling onto her side as she lost her momentum. 

Garnet sighed; this really wasn't the time to be daydreaming. But, who could blame her? Her eyes filled with concern as she looked at the black haired woman, she just looked so heartbroken.  At least she could try to understand why she was like this now, after Rinoa told her the story the week before. The awfully, awfully heartbreaking story that got Garnet to hug and comfort Rinoa without any words. 

How could he do that to her? Now that she thought about it, _why would he?_ Even though she had only seen him once, she could definitely remember the way he held onto her like she was the most precious thing in the world.

"Rin, we're arriving at Garden in a couple of minutes. Why don't you get freshened up?"

Rinoa smiled at her, a small smile, but a genuine one nonetheless. "Alright." 

Garnet smiled in return and was about to turn around before Rinoa's soft voice called out again.

"Oh, and Garnet?"

"Yes?" Garnet looked behind her shoulder with a questioning glance.

"Thank you." With those two words came a larger smile that didn't wane as Garnet's smile mimicked hers. 

"No problem." She knew those words were in reference to the past week where Garnet had not tried to bother and nag her as much about work; giving her space as she tried to quell her emotions before she arrived at Garden. And just for being there in general; Rinoa never had that many people to confide in at work.

Rinoa was left to her thoughts again as Garnet left the small room on the moving train. She sighed. 

She really wanted to see Squall again, but she didn't. She really wanted to talk to him again, but she didn't.

She hated these emotions inside of her. She wanted to throw things. She wanted to scream.

_ I just want to know why.  _

All the frustration was building up inside of her, a feeling like liquid pain running through her, amplified by the place she was supposed to be in just a mere ten minutes.

_ Breathe, breathe, breathe. Just breathe, Rinoa. _

She brushed her hair back as she took deep breaths. If anyone were to walk by they would have seen a young woman who seemed to be insane. Then again, maybe they weren't too far from the truth. 

She looked up out the window again as she desperately tried to get herself under control.

* * *

"Oh my Hyne! Rinoa!"

An energetic young woman bounded up to the woman stepping out of the car at a speed so fast she would have been barely noticeable if it weren't for her adoring scream. 

"Selphie." Rinoa gave a smile at the massive bear hug she received. "It's so good to see you again."

She pulled away first and took a look at her good friend. Her orange hair was longer than she remembered, past her shoulders but with the same waves that flipped at the layered tips. Her green eyes still shown with the excitement of a child. _She hasn't changed at all._ Rinoa thought.

"Hey give the lady a break, Selph." A voice with the Southern drawl Rinoa knew so well called out. 

"Irvine, it’s nice to see you too." Irvine stepped up to Rinoa and gave her a hug that she gladly reciprocated. Again she pulled back with a happy smile on her face. Irvine had gotten rid of his long ponytail, a part of him that Rinoa was surprised about. Now it flowed well to his shoulders but instead of looking feminine, it made him look more masculine. 

She looked around for another two people, two people who she adored deeply, aside from Squall.

"Where are Zell and Quistis?" She asked quietly. She wanted to see them and catch up with them, just like old times. A part of her wanted _him_ to be there too, but why would he?

She mentally shook herself free of the thoughts concerning Squall; they wouldn't help her at all during her stay. 

"Oh, Zell's at Squall's office right now, he'll come meet us in your room later." Rinoa flinched at the mention of Squall's name and turned her gaze toward the ground, an action that Irvine immediately noticed and nudged Selphie. She gave an apologetic look in return and decided to go on.

"Quistis is still teaching a class right now, but she's also going to meet us up in your room with Zell." Selphie smiled as Rinoa's gaze went back up to her face and she grabbed her hand, ready to pull her through the halls of Garden. 

"Sheesh Rinoa, you're leaving me to carry your luggage alone?"

Garnet stood behind Rinoa, slightly shorter than her but managed to give her a seething glare, even if it was only in jest.

Rinoa chuckled softly and turned around sheepishly; she honestly forgot about Garnet the moment she saw her two friends. The shorter woman laughed along with her and walked up to Irvine and Selphie, her long hair swishing in the wind.

"Guys, I forgot. This is Garnet, my manager." Garnet held out her hand to the two, shaking Selphie's hand giving her a big smile which turned into another glare as Irvine charmingly kissed her hand followed by a wink.

"Pleased to meet a beautiful lady like yourself, miss." Her glare was matched by the orange-haired girlfriend who had her arms crossed in annoyance. 

Rinoa covered her mouth with her hand; she forgot how entertaining they were. 

She felt it was best to stop Irvine before he was promptly slapped by the short woman; she never could tolerate men like Irvine, even if he didn't mean it. 

"Irvine, Garnet here is a happily engaged woman." Garnet nodded agreeing to her statement. It was then Irvine saw the ring, the sparkling diamond ring that seemed to gleam in front of his eyes. A diamond ring that so conveniently decided to hide until this moment. 

Irvine sheepishly released her hand, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Despite his flirtatious personality, he stayed away from married or engaged women; he didn't want to engage in a fist fight with an angry husband. He learned that lesson already, oh he definitely learned it.

"Sorry." He mumbled. Selphie on the other hand was openly laughing at his nervousness; he seemed to be looking for the angry fiancé with his green eyes darting around.  

"It's fine." Garnet gave a small smile in return; she seemed to find the situation a bit funny too. 

"I'll just go get that luggage now." His response was said as he was running away, and away from the possible fiancé that would be after him. He was never a fighter.

Selphie recovered from her laughing and pulled onto her hands, leading her into the back entrance of Garden with Garnet following close behind.

Rinoa's chuckles subsided as they all walked down the halls of Garden. 

For a little bit, she managed to finally let herself go and live in the moment, not in the past where she constantly put herself. 

She missed this.

* * *

A pair of piercing stormy blue eyes looked out into the window, a window leading out into the back of the Garden where the young singer was currently talking to Selphie and Irvine.

She was more beautiful than he remembered. She carried a natural grace that came with her maturity, a grace she had before but was more apparent as she became a singer.

He still remembered that day. That day where he decided to crush her heart into millions of pieces of dust and let it fly into the winds, the shadows covering them from ever being found again.

He remembered the feelings that went through him. Like a black poison flowing through his veins, slowly tearing him apart piece by piece, yet hidden.

_ Guilt. _

He wanted to go back and apologize that night. He wanted to go and tell her all of his insecurities and fears. He wanted to stop her tears from flowing. 

_ The guilt was covering him, burying him alive. _

So like the young singer whose heart was also broken that day, he worked. He worked to improve the Garden. He worked to improve the budget. He worked overtime so that he wouldn't be able to dream of her at night. 

He wouldn't--couldn't see her cry again. 

He was convinced he did the right thing. All the times he saw her on television, the newspapers with her smiling face on it, he believed she moved on. 

From that he was able to find solace from the darkness. So he stayed away and worked to the top. And eventually he became Commander.

He stayed away for one year. A year of wanting to do nothing but finding her.

"Yo! Squall!" His stare out the window promptly turned into a frown as he recognized the voice calling out to him for the second time. He hadn't even realized he came in.

"Xu let me in; I just came to tell you that Rinoa arrived safe and sound!" He explained cheerfully.

He flinched as he heard her name.

  
"Whoa man, I'm guessing you don't wanna talk about her?" 

Zell mentally face palmed. Of course he wouldn't want to talk about her! Ever since he broke up with Rinoa he moped and never mentioned her again. Though he frequently caught him looking at the news when there was an interview or announcement of a song from her.

He didn't know what had happened, only that Squall left garden looking like the happiest he'd ever been, and came back looking like a mess. Ever since then, no mention of Rinoa came from him, and the others quickly learned to not mention her at all in his presence.

Squall shook his head and finally spoke back to him. "No, I know she has arrived here safely. It's fine, Zell."

Zell gave a questioning look at the commander, this was the first time in a while he's seen him so distracted. Was it because of Rinoa? He thought they had broken up, but like the SeeD he was, he always wanted to ask him or Rinoa what had happened. But he stayed away. What had transpired that night was their own business after all, and he wouldn't force them to open up.

Squall looked up from the papers on his desk as Zell sat down in the seat. Apart from being distracted, Squall looked like he needed to talk.

And he did.

"She looks beautiful."

Zell raised an eyebrow. "I agree."

"She's definitely matured."

Zell had to stop and ponder for a second. Why was he saying these types of things? Only one logical answer came to mind, and probably the only one that would fit to Squall.

_ He still has feelings for her, doesn't he? _

"Squall, I'm your friend. I've known you since we were five years old and in Matron's orphanage." 

He paused as he thought about his next words; Squall was like a clam. He had to be prodded gently, not jabbed with a spiky stick, or else he would clam himself shut. Supposedly having the pride of a lion was fitting, but being a clam was like Squall too.

"Do you still have feelings for Rinoa?" He face palmed again inside, he was definitely not one to be subtle. To his surprise, Squall gave a bitter laugh as he pushed his hair back with his hands.

"Yes." Squall surprised Zell again, his mouth opening in surprise. "I still have feelings for Rinoa."

Zell was in a state of shock, he seemed to have incredible luck today with Squall. 

"I thought you guys were the happiest couple I've ever seen. What happened?"

After a year of not saying anything, anything about Rinoa, he was about to tell the whole thing to Zell. He just wanted to get rid of the guilt he still felt, even if Rinoa was happy without him.

He held back though. He wasn't comfortable discussing her yet. But someday, someday he would tell him.

"Later. I'll tell you later."

Zell nodded. It was a good start from Squall; he never would have thought he would actually admit he still had feelings for the singer. So he walked out of his office, missing the look of anguish that crossed Squall's face.

Even after all this time of working to forget about Rinoa, the guilt still remained.

* * *

Rinoa stepped into the grand ballroom decorated in gold. Her pale yellow dress flowed with her movements, and she smiled gracefully at the awed stares and waves she received from the SeeDs. 

She gave a fond smile as she remembered the night before. Zell and Quistis came just as Rinoa had finished unpacking, and they had spent the night reminiscing and catching up while eating pizza. She had forgotten how nice it was to just talk with them. Even the occasional e-mail to all of them was different than being with them in person, and she vowed to keep in touch more. 

Her steps slowed as she caught sight of Squall talking to Cid Kramer.  She gasped and quickly sidestepped behind a pillar, trying to slow her beating heart. Groaning, she smacked herself on the forehead; _why was she so scared of meeting him?_

She shook her head. She already knew that answer.

"Wow Rin, if I didn't know any better I'd have thought that you lost your bonkers at that moment."

"Shut up, Zell." Rinoa just had to laugh. "And bonkers? Really?"

"It's a word that Selphie said one time. It’s stuck with me ever since." He replied with a grin. 

Zell leaned on the pillar beside her. 

"So, you seen him yet?"

"Who?"

Zell rolled his eyes and lightly pushed her. "Squall."

Rinoa blushed, she didn't want Zell to know that she had seen him and then "lost her bonkers."

"No. I haven't. Where is he?"

"Well, he's standing behind you."

"What?" Rinoa spun around so fast she almost lost her footing if it weren't for a hand that reached out and held her arm. Her eyes as widened as she processed the situation.

Squall. Holding her. 

"Well, I'm gonna go talk to Selphie and Irvine for a bit. See you guys around." Zell replied with a knowing grin. Rinoa wanted to maim him at the moment; this was _not_ entertaining.

Squall nodded and watched as he went away. He loosened his grip on her when he realized he was still holding onto her. Coughing, he rubbed the back of his neck and finally looked at Rinoa.

"You look beautiful tonight."

The singer looked up to him and saw his nervous gestures, perhaps he was nervous talking to her too? The thought made her feel...what? It made her feel a bit happy inside, but the overall negative, pessimistic feeling came over her, numbing her entire body as she thought about that day. She mentally shook her head clear of those thoughts again.

"Thank you. You're looking quite handsome tonight too." She replied with a smile which Squall returned.

"How are things over at Prima Vista?"

Rinoa breathed a sigh of relief. This she could talk about right now.

"Well, things are getting pretty hectic for me, especially since I have another album that's supposed to come out soon. Even an offering to star in a movie came in, but I haven't really thought about it yet." Rinoa paused to think about what else to say. "There's lots of traveling too, Esthar, Dollet, Deling City, all the big places." 

"That's great."

"How are things over here?"

"Not bad. The students this year did exceptional on the SeeD test, and the budget's going well also. All in all, it's fine here."

She studied him as she listened, his jaw was more prominent and his shoulders more broad, emphasized by the formal SeeD uniform. His brown hair was a bit longer, flowing to the tops of his cheeks in that flipped, tousled way he liked. 

Rinoa smiled as she heard his words, he was never much of a talker. Still, there was an awkward silence as they talked more about their respectable work areas; it seemed like the only safe topic to speak about right now.

"What song are you going to be singing tonight?"

Rinoa smiled again as she thought about her favorite song in the entire, entire world. "Eyes on Me."

Squall also smiled, he remembered how much she had loved that song. 

"Well Rinoa, we can't wait to see your performance later." He started. "I should get back to Cid, he seems like he needs some help." He pointed his head in the direction of Cid, who was talking with some SeeD, seemingly nervous as the young man seemed to ask question after question.

"Alright, enjoy the ball." She smiled and walked away towards Zell. 

Squall watched her with eyes that slowly filled with sadness. While he was talking to her, he was overcome with guilt once again, as he remembered the day he pushed her away. He frowned and glared at the champagne glass sitting on the table before he grabbed it and drowned it in one gulp.

He wished he could go back to that day, but he wanted her to be happy living the life her mother once had.

So in that moment he vowed to continue life as it was. 

_ Rinoa was happy, and that was all that mattered. _

* * *

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, give a warm welcome to Rinoa Heartilly!"

A spotlight shone on the stage and illuminated the lone figure on stage, sending shimmers onto her pale yellow ball gown. Squall could only watch in silent awe as the pianist next to Rinoa started playing, her fingers dancing and flowing elegantly on the keys. 

_ "Whenever sang my songs, on the stage on my own…" _

Squall closed his eyes and gave a little smile; he could clearly remember the times she sung it to him as a lullaby while the shadows of the night blanketed over them.

"Wow, Rin's so good!" Selphie excitedly exclaimed. She hopped on one foot and then the other as she clapped and gazed up onto the stage like the rest of the audience. 

Rinoa closed her eyes as she was singing, her hand pressed onto her stomach as she concentrated fully on the song. Squall could remember exactly what she had said when he commented on the way she held her stomach. He wondered if it hurt when she sang, thus her reaction of putting pressure on it.

_ "No, silly!" She exclaimed.  _

_ Squall chuckled, but was still confused. _

_ "It helps me when singing because when you hold your stomach in, it can allow me to release more air to reach higher notes since higher notes require more air." _

Looks like some things don't change. 

_ "Darling so there you are, with that look on your face…" _

Squall couldn't have thought anything in that moment. He was completely awestruck, even if it didn't show on the outside; he was slowly losing it inside. He didn't know what came over him, but he took a couple steps forward.

_ "How can I let you know, I'm more than the dress and the voice?" _

"Squall? Where are you going?"

Selphie's voice rang in his ears but he couldn't process it. He didn't even realize it when he started walking up the steps on to the stage.

_ "Just reach me out then, you would know that you are not dreaming…" _

Rinoa finished the last words and looked over at Squall with a confused look in her eyes. She masked it by placing a smile on her face. What he did next completely shocked her.

Squall slid his arm over her waist and pulled her to him, locking his lips over hers. 

_ What's going on? _

The crowd immediately started cheering and clapping, some boys glaring jealously at Squall, some girls glaring jealously at Rinoa. Rinoa however, was still in that same state of shock even as Squall pulled away. His eyes widened as what he did processed in his mind. 

Quickly he recovered, and released his grip on her. Taking her left hand into his own, he gently placed a kiss onto her fingers and smiled. Rinoa reciprocated the smile, albeit a bit warily. 

_ What just happened? _

He walked off the stage, no matter how much he wanted to run from that area where all of the prying eyes were.

Rinoa smiled and turned towards the audience again, who were none the wiser. Luckily, the audience had thought it was part of the performance.

"I hope you enjoyed my performance of 'Eyes on Me.' everyone, enjoy the rest of your night."

Rinoa still smiled as she walked off the stage. Selphie bombarded her with questions once she met up with her, her eyes sparkling with adoration at what happened. Rinoa just wanted to scream again at the frustration inside of her. 

_ What the hell just happened?! _

She would never have thought Squall would do that to her. Not once in a million years. 

Irvine pulled Selphie away promising that they would talk later; he sensed something was amiss with Rinoa and wanted to give her space and time. Luckily, the SeeDs were too busy dancing and never paid any attention to how the singer was crumbling.

Zell just watched on with a look akin to bewilderment at what just transpired before his eyes. He knew Squall still had feelings for her, but the poor singer had to be feeling so confused right now. When he was about to leave her room as the others left last night, she had timidly kept  him and Quistis back and stood there awkwardly while blushing. Finally, she softly asked them how Squall was.

What could they have said? Something clicked in both of their minds. It was painfully obvious that Rinoa still had feelings for him too, though Quistis didn’t know Squall cared for Rinoa still. For now, he wouldn't do anything but sit back, they needed to work out their own problems, and it wouldn't do any good to come in between them right now.

* * *

Rinoa stood next to the table of glasses and champagne bottles, quietly contemplating Squall's actions. It was just then that in the corner of her sight she saw him go out of the door on the side. 

_ Where is he going? _

She placed her own glass of champagne down and walked casually towards the same door.

Garnet watched as she walked out, silently praying for her. Hopefully after tonight, Rinoa wouldn’t need to be in such pain anymore. 

Rinoa gazed out into the concrete path surrounded by flowers and greenery. Hanging lights from the trees shone onto the vibrant hues of the flowers, seemingly sparkling. It was a beautiful sight, but one she couldn't dwell on at the moment. She caught sight of Squall walking ahead of her and she followed him.

The shadows of the flowers melded into her own as she walked to catch up with Squall.

* * *

** A/N:  ** I eased up on the angst this chapter so it would be easier for me to gradually change the genre from super-angsty to less angsty, and then to moderately happy. The next and last part should be coming up soon, like before, it’s already planned out and just needs to be written. 

I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. :) 


	3. Sunlight

**NOTE** : Happy birthday, Squall Leonhart!

* * *

_Kick._

Another pebble suffered a tremendous kick that Squall unceremoniously shoved to the side. His powerful steps contrasted with the beautiful flowers that adorned the sides of the path as he passed them. He checked the wristwatch to see if it was anywhere close to the ending of the graduation ball.

It was only ten thirty-three.

_What the hell was I thinking?_

Squall glared at the concrete as he kicked yet another pebble in front of him.

_That's right, I wasn't._

Squall wanted to hit himself for allowing that to happen. What had happened just a few minutes before was an utterly, utterly stupid mistake. He couldn't care less about the audience that saw, it was Rinoa who he wanted to stay away from right now.

_"Hey, Squall? How long does it take for the sun to rise?"_

Squall smiled at the memory that came unbidden in his mind.

_"Four minutes."_

_"So, four minutes for the sun to cast away all the darkness in the world?"_

He remembered that day. It was one of those simple days for them both, when Rinoa's presence was soothing, even when they weren't doing anything of use. Even though he was insecure with many parts of their relationship, he didn't regret those times in the least.

_"So, how about you be my sun?"_

_"What?"_

_"You heard me." A soft giggle came from Rinoa. "You can be my sun, and you can protect me from the shadows."_

The dream cleared and Squall was left again in the presence of the flowers.

_You were wrong._ You _were my sun instead._

* * *

Rinoa wanted to scream. Not in frustration like the past couple of days had her wanting, but to scream at Irvine until his ears bled, and then even more after that.

Why, why did he have to go after Squall the same time she did? The sight of Irvine coming into her view as she walked gave her startle as she quickly ran behind a tree. At least the vantage point was alright and she could hear every word they were saying.

"Hey, Squall."

The commander sighed. It was apparent that he wanted to be alone.

"Irvine."

The cowboy kept up his happy charade as he spoke again. "That was some stunt you pulled off there. It was a nice touch to the show."

"Hn."

"Rinoa seemed pretty shocked though."

Rinoa cringed at the mention of her name and at the comment; she knew her reaction probably lacked finesse and grace. She could almost see Squall doing the same from what she knew and remembered of him.

_Was it an act?_

"She did fine. The audience doesn't suspect anything; and if they did, they can't do anything other than gossip."

His cool tone couldn't help but send her heart plummeting; she had started to hope that Squall still had feelings for her. The same hope that she had spent the past year relying on, until it had finally dimmed out.

She turned her mind back to the scene playing out in front of her.

"So, what you did was completely and absolutely on purpose?" The cowboy asked in the same cool tone.

"Yes."

Irvine scoffed; a totally different expression on his face than the cheerful smile he had on before. "Somehow, I don't believe that."

Rinoa frowned from behind her tree. Alongside with the growing hope, confusion garnered her interest for the moment.  _What is he getting at?_

"What else is there to believe?" Squall spat out, now throwing daggers at Irvine.

"Squall, you know you still have feelings for her."

Rinoa stopped thinking while hope kept blossoming inside her.  _What?_

"No, I don't."

And the hope vanished, only to have it grow back again along with more frustration at the two men.

"Don't lie to yourself, Squall!" Irvine exclaimed. He continued mercilessly. "We all see he way you look at her, the way you acted after you guys broke up. How you would stare at the television whenever she would be on it; how happy you seem to be when you look at the pictures you kept of her!"

At this, Squall seemed to break, a flood of emotions that exploded from him and came to life with the emotion in his words.

"Fine. I did. I still  _do_  have feelings for her." He spat. Squall took a deep breath before calmly stating his next words.

"I still love Rinoa Heartilly."

Rinoa couldn't believe this. She had to go and talk to Squall.  _No matter what happens._

Irvine smirked when he heard the sounds of heels stepping hurriedly on the concrete behind him. It widened when he saw Squall's expression of shock and surprise when Rinoa appeared from the corner.  _It was perfect._ He thought.

"Ah, Rinoa. It's nice to see you here again." He calmly stated as if nothing had happened. As if Squall admitting something he had been denying for the past year was no big breakthrough.

This moment was definitely perfect. What made it even better was the fact that there was no way that Squall could deny it anymore when Rinoa  _knew_.

"Hi Irvine." Rinoa managed to say.

Irvine glanced between the two. "Well, I should be going now, I'll see you two back inside." He said and with a grin and wink to Squall and Rinoa, he turned on his heels and walked away whistling.

Squall again checked his wristwatch in a nervous gesture for something to do. Ten forty-one.

He turned his gaze toward the beauty in front of him and had to look away at the soft but fierce look he received from the singer.

Whatever happened next, Squall Leonhart could not predict.

And it scared him. It scared him so much.

* * *

Rinoa had run away from fights before, but this was one she would not allow herself to run away from. She would not walk away like she had too many times before in her life, like how Caraway had pointed out so many times before.

She would  _fight_.

That left Squall with the option of running and never looking back. And that was exactly what he tried to do.

"Well Rinoa, I should be going back inside. Good night." He said coolly, with no resemblance of the shocked man existing moments before.

"No."

Rinoa didn't want to sound so forceful, but it came out that way. She decided to be blunt. "Squall, is it true?"

"What is?"

"Squall, don't act like the past moments didn't happen! I heard you, I was behind that tree the whole time."

The look on Squall's face gradually turned from cool to shock, and finally anger. At her? She didn't know and frankly, didn't care. It would not faze her, not today.

Squall didn't want to talk about that, especially to her anymore. If he did, he wouldn't know what he would say in his delirious state. He had already proved that he does not know what he does around Rinoa with the stunt he pulled during her performance.

"Squall."

Rinoa's eyes turned sorrowful as he continued to be unresponsive.

"Good night." He said as he tried to step around her.

_Now or never Rinoa. It's now or never._

"Squall!"

He didn't turn back. His steps never wavered as he walked steadfastly on the path back to the ballroom.

_Now or never._

"I still love you too!"

* * *

Squall's eyes widened. Those words were words he had wanted to hear for so many months, for too long.

He turned back towards her, his eyes full of surprise. The sight that greeted him was the sight of tears welling up in her eyes that haven't fallen yet. The guilt he already had grew as he saw her.  _I'm hurting her again._

But he only managed one word in response.

"What?"

Rinoa refused to back away from the situation, even if she was afraid of being rejected again. All her fears of being rejected and pushed away, even if it had come true once, plagued her mind in relentless assaults. Memories of her painful childhood living with Caraway, and even of  _that night_  kept coming back to her. It was sadness that laced her next words, sadness that Squall couldn't help but notice the most.

"This past year...was hell. I thought you didn't mean what you said that day at first, but when you didn't call me, or even ask about me, it hurt when I realized it was true. It hurt so damn much."

Squall could only listen while the guilt multiplied within himself. This was all his fault. All the times he convinced himself that she was happy when he saw her, it was all a lie.

"I'm sorry." Those were the only words he could manage.

The black haired woman continued to stare at him through her tears. While she was talking she managed to calm herself down, but it still hurt to talk to him.

_Will that feeling ever go away?_

Rinoa wanted to ask him one more thing; at least one more thing before he left her life again.

_I want it to end-this part of me that feels I'm a failure._

"Why," She began. "Why did you say all those things to me that day?"

This whole time she had thought that she was a burden; something that bothered him immensely. Perhaps he did think of her that way, for too long in their relationship. And because of that frustration, it all came out on that day, when he couldn't tolerate her anymore.

But she couldn't think of all the possibilities right now, she would find the answer soon enough. If only she could pretend that it didn't hurt when she was right.

Squall was highly uncomfortable. He didn't want to share why he was insecure, but it seemed he had no choice. He might not have wanted to tell Rinoa why he did those hurtful things, but he didn't want to see her hurt anymore. That was one thing he wouldn't do anymore. She was hurt for too long by his hands.

It was hard, but he  _would_  do it. "I didn't want to be hurt," he didn't look at her as he talked. "I didn't want to find out one day when you were famous and happy that I'm not worth it."

He took a deep breath, the cool air refreshing him and calming his nerves. "It was so important to you; your dream of becoming a singer. I didn't want to come between that. And I knew you would have stayed with me if I had asked, but I didn't want to keep you from it."

"And when you would have finally become a famous singer, you would have realized that you could do so much better. And it wasn't the first time I've felt that way, for the majority of our relationship I've felt like that. And that day...was the day that it would have started falling apart if we had stayed together. I didn't mean it when I said those things, Rinoa. Not even one of them."

He turned around and lowered his head in shame. What he didn't expect next was a pair of thin arms wrapping around him from behind, with a soft pressure of his back as Rinoa's head leaned against his shoulder.

His voice was just so full of sorrow and regret that she couldn't be mad at him. She was upset though. How long has he felt that way, and didn't even talk to her about it? How long had he been harboring the guilt on his shoulders? At this moment, she shared his sadness; the time spent away from each other had hurt them both tremendously.

"Squall…" Her heels created soft skidding noises as she walked around him to face him. She held her hand to his jaw, gazing up into his eyes.

"I wouldn't have left you-not even for a second would I have left you." Her tears finally fell from her eyes as she quietly sobbed.

The commander couldn't help but feel his own eyes well up, but he wouldn't cry. Instead, he pulled Rinoa into a tight embrace as he smoothed her hair in a comforting manner; something he did often when they were a couple, only it was when they were on the verge of falling asleep.

_Will we get those days back?_

After a few moments, Squall asked if she wanted to go back to her room and rest, it was a long night and they had too much to think about for the future.

"I don't want the future. I want the present to stand still. I just want to stay here with you…"

And so they stayed in the same embrace.

The clocked ticked ten forty-five.

* * *

"Irvine!"

The cowboy now a man of twenty-five lifted a young boy up into his arms and walked over to the woman standing next to the church.

"Irvine, come on, otherwise we'll be late! And we can't miss any chance to take pictures!" The young woman danced happily in her bridesmaid gown of sky blue as she barely contained her excitement. Irvine himself dressed in a black tux as he made his way over to her.

"Yes, Selphie." The little boy giggled at her goofy little dance; even though he couldn't exactly comprehend why she was so happy.

He continued to be held by Irvine as they proceeded into the church decorated with lavish colors of sky blue and white. Blue lilies adorned the pillars and white ribbons hung from the tails. It was both simple and beautiful in its own way.

Irvine and Selphie's own wedding was a combination of bright colors of yellow and orange, though surprisingly it didn't look bad. That's Selphie for you; she could design and decorate anything from being in the Balamb Garden Festival Committee for so many years.

They audience rose and turned towards the door when the beautiful woman in a white dress come into view. Her hair done into an elaborate bun with small white lilies, she walked with a smile visible through the white veil she wore with eyes only on the man in front of her; the one she loved the most.

"Daddy, who are they?" The little boy of three asked his dad as he cuddled into his shoulder.

Irvine grinned at his son, and said, "Those-the two people standing over there, are the two most  _stubborn_  people you will ever meet in your life."

"What's stub-stubbwern?" The boy asked curiously.

"I'll tell you later." Irvine replied with a smile.

The gang had been so happy to hear when Rinoa and Squall had gotten back together again three years ago. They had been even happier to find out Irvine had proposed to Selphie the same night.

It wasn't easy for the singer and commander; they had argued so many times. But they had always managed to overcome it, something that had changed as their time apart had changed the both.

And Irvine was right.

They were incredibly stubborn.  _They still are._  He thought humorously. Some things never change. At least they were stubborn enough in their relationship to keep trying. And it had paid off; now they were going to be happily married in a matter of seconds.

The boy still continued to look at Irvine with a grin on his face. Irvine, seeing this ruffled his brown hair and said to him, "Those two people up there; they'll be together forever."

The boy smiled and nodded, having come to a conclusion about why there were so many people and why they had to dress in the icky, icky clothes.

"Forever?" he asked.

"Forever. Because your mom says that she knows they'll always find a way back to each other. And I think that too."

Irvine clapped as Rinoa and Squall shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

He couldn't be any happier for them.

It took them too long for them to be back together where they always should have been.

A year passed; too much time.

But it had only taken them four minutes be back in each other's arms once more.

And the sunlight continued to shine onto the world, melting the biting snow and melting away the dark shadows with its brilliant light, as one man found his one sun again.

_"You'll always be the one to shield me from harm."_

* * *

**E N D**

* * *

**NOTE** : Whew! The last chapter is completed, finally! After editing and editing, I cut out so many parts this chapter is significantly shorter than the others. The cuttings were basically parts I felt were too dramatic and angsty, not the way I wanted to go for this chapter. xD

Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews throughout the chapters! They mean so much to me. I hope you enjoyed reading this and if not, tell me why. I'm always looking to improve my writing. And one more thing: I wanted to post this chapter on Squall's birthday, which is perfect. ^^ Well, where I am it's still the 23rd.

Take care, and who knows? Maybe I'll write another story for the WiB challenge. Enjoy the rest of the month and the Squinoa-ness of the challenge!


End file.
